Calamity and Solace
by Uzumaki-'.'.'-Hyuga
Summary: This takes place a few years after the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, when peace settled across all the lands. Also takes place after the marriage of four couples: ShikaTema, DeiIno, SasuSaku, and NaruHina.
1. Prologue

_Shikamaru held the newborn black-haired girl in his arms and smiled at his wife, the Kazekage's sister whom he married only two years before, and thought to himself 'My girls are beautiful. How did I get to be so lucky?' He kissed his lovely spouse, taking care not to wake the baby._

_**2 years later**___

_Once again in the hospital, Temari looked at her daughter, Shimara, and smiled. "You have a baby brother, Shimara."  
"What?" She asked, looking curiously at the brunette bundle her mother cradled.  
"Yes, Shimara." Shikamaru told her, looking lovingly into her black eyes, "He's your new brother."  
"What's his name?" Shimara asked in her innocent, childlike voice.  
Temari and Shikamaru shared a glance, and a nod, and both replied "Tamaku."_

_**1 year later**___

_"Are you okay, Ino?" Shikamaru asked his former teammate as he rushed into the hospital room, once he was allowed inside.  
"Y-Yes. Twins, can you believe it? I knew something was up when I got so fat."  
"You weren't fat, yeah." Deidara reassured her and moved her bangs out of her face while staring at the two blonde girls in awe.  
'How troublesome.' Shikamaru thought. 'Twins. I can see it now...'_

_**3 years later**___

_Sakura released a high-pitched wail at approximately 7 in the morning, startling Sasuke out of his sleep.  
"What? What's wrong, Sakura? What is it?!" He asked her, very worried.  
"I.. Ngh... G-Get me to the... Hospital." She was panting.  
"Oh.. O-Oh! Okay!" He jumped out of the queen-sized bed and quickly slid some clothes on as he thought 'Why does everything have to be so dramatic with her?'  
Thankfully, Sakura was dressed enough to be in public, so he slid one arm under her back and a hand under her legs and carried her outside. They lived close to the hospital, where Sakura worked, so he ran there with her in his arms.  
As he paced the waiting room for what seemed like hours, a nurse came to him.  
"S-Sir?"  
"What is it?"  
"Th-There's a problem..."  
"What? Is everything okay?"  
"I-I..."  
He grabbed her shoulders, "What is it?! Spit it out!"  
"Well, your d-daughter is –"  
"Daughter?"  
"Y-Yes, your daughter is fine, but... Your wife..."  
"Sakura?" His face turned white, "What... What happened to her?"  
"It appears that it put too much stress on her, probably due to her small figure, and sh-she may not make it. I am sorry, sir."  
"NO! She was trained under Lady Tsunade herself! And she works here! How could this happen to her?!"  
"S-Sir, please calm down."  
"NOT UNTIL SHE'S SAFE!" He ran toward the room she was in.  
"Sir! You cannot enter the room right now! It will only stress her more!"  
Sasuke hesitated for a moment and, thankfully, decided to think rationally. "I guess it's a better idea to wait, then." He returned to the bland waiting room and sat down, defeated. The nurse went to Sakura's room for a few minutes, and then found Sasuke again.  
"Sir."  
"What? Is she okay?"  
"Come with me."  
A different worry crossed his mind with each step it took to reach Sakura's hospital room.  
'Are they okay? Is the baby sick? Did the baby die? Is Sakura dying? Is she already dead?'  
When he walked into the white-walled room, he saw Sakura lying on the bed. She grinned up at him weakly, her skin pale and bags under her eyes.  
"Hi, Sasuke." He ran to her and kissed her forehead, fighting off tears.  
"I thought you were dead." He kissed her forehead again. "I'm glad that you're not."  
"I almost was... But I'm better than that. I wouldn't die on you for something so silly as childbirth."  
"Where's our baby?"  
"The nurse has her."  
He glanced to the corner of the room, where the nurse held a pink blanket with a raven-haired baby wrapped inside, and walked over to her.  
"Would you like to hold her?" The nurse asked.  
"Well, of course I would." He took the baby and studied it, suddenly amazed at the gift he had helped create. He showed their daughter to Sakura, and she beamed at him, joyful tears running down her rosy cheeks._

_**1 year later**___

_"I-I can't believe it." Hinata stated as she held their blonde baby in a soft blue blanket.  
"Well, believe it! We have a son!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling at her with that childish enthusiasm she'd always loved. He kneeled by her white hospital bed and admired her as sunlight streamed through the window and caressed her face.  
"What... What do we call him?"  
"I don't know. I heard this name before that sounded good, and I was thinking about that one."  
"Well, what is it?"  
"Minuki."  
"That sounds nice. I like it. Minuki..." She trailed off as she adoringly watched her sleeping baby boy._

_**The Nara Home**___

_Temari heard crying from Shimara's room and departed her reading chair to see what was causing it. 'Why did I have to give birth to crybabies?' She thought to herself, wishing for the hundredth time that they would give her some peace and quiet. When she opened the door, she froze. So did Shimara, with her fist raised in the air, straddling her baby brother. Tamaku was unconscious, his face hardly showing any color but black and blue and his nose spurting blood. Shimara immediately stood up, but knew she couldn't hide what she'd done. She looked at the floor.  
"Sh-Shika?" Temari turned her head and called timidly, but not looking away, slightly afraid of her seven-year-old daughter at the moment. Shikamaru walked through the door and stood beside her, and then his jaw dropped slightly. It seemed like he couldn't control his mouth for a moment, but then he spoke.  
"What is this?" He asked calmly. Shimara glanced up at him for a moment, and then quickly averted her eyes, too flustered to speak and too afraid to find the fire that might return her gaze. She knew that the mild voice was even worse than rage.  
"H-He broke my v-vase..." She offered, though she knew she was hopelessly without an excuse. Not a valid one, anyway.  
Temari rushed to her baby boy on the floor, and cradled his head in her lap as she stroked his straight black hair, now matted with blood.  
"He's your brother, Shimara. Do you think something so... so useless as a vase can constitute nearly taking a priceless life? Your own brother." Shikamaru was still composed. Shimara was terrified beyond anything she had ever felt. She knew that she couldn't control herself in the moments before, and had just let out all the hatred and jealousy she had felt since her brother was born, but she didn't know how to explain it to them. She couldn't make herself think, much less talk. Shikamaru squatted down to her level and forced her to look him in the eyes. Mercifully, she didn't see the flame she had expected in his stare. She was still scared.  
"I.. I'm sorry, daddy." Shikamaru hardly knew what to say. This situation was something he had never fathomed. Was his little girl going to turn into a cold-blooded killer? He hoped not, he would do anything to prevent that. Temari cried silently, still stroking Tamaku's hair, for she was also bewildered.  
"I'm not going to say it's okay, because it's not. He's not dead, but that doesn't mean you won't be punished any less. I mean, a vase? Come on, Shimara, I don't think that's the real reason here."  
She pondered for a moment and peeked behind her at where her mother and brother were, then replied quietly, "No... It's not."  
"But it was the breaking point, wasn't it?"  
"Y-Yes, daddy."  
"Can you tell me how you really feel, then?"  
"I hate him."  
Shikamaru opened his mouth to reply, but closed it, truly astonished at what he had just heard. A quick glance at Temari told him that she had heard it too, and felt the same.  
"Y-You can't mean that, honey, he's only –"  
"No, I mean it." She glared at him openly now, with more confidence than before.  
"Shimara. How can you –?"  
"B-Because... Ever since he was born, y-you all ignored me. I would walk out of my room and see you playing with him and talking all sweet, and... and you don't do that with me anymore! I miss having you touch my hair and kiss my head when I get hurt. But you always paid attention to him, and left me all alone by myself!" Tears started pouring down her face and she looked down. "I hate him. He stole you from me, and I loved you first. That means I deserve you more than him."  
Shikamaru gaped at her, hardly believing that any of this was not just a dreadful nightmare. But he knew better. Still, he was shocked at how perceptive and intelligent his daughter proved to be at such a young age.  
"Shimara, I... Well, when you have a baby, they are so troublesome that they demand all of the parents' attention, or else they cry and cry and cry until you play with them or feed them or do whatever it is they want. I don't know about you, but I hate it when babies cry. It annoys me. I'd prefer to spend the whole day with that baby, no matter how much work it is, than to listen to him cry. You just don't understand. Babies and little kids are a lot of work, and I know it must've felt like we were ignoring you, but I promise we weren't trying to."  
"No, we weren't." Temari agreed, "We still love you. We love both of you the same."  
"As I was saying, I want you to know that... that you aren't supposed to hate your brother. He's your family, just like your mother and I. You love us, don't you?"  
"Yes, daddy. I love you and mommy very much." Shimara replied sweetly.  
"So, shouldn't you love your little brother, too? You certainly shouldn't hate him. It's not his fault that he was born, is it? You can blame us for that, but not him. He hasn't done anything to you. None of it was his choice. If you're going to hate anybody, hate us. But don't hate your brother."  
Shimara considered his words, and then suddenly realized how wrong she had been the whole time, and how much her parents really loved her despite her lonely thoughts. She collapsed into her father's arms and sobbed violently for many minutes. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head, like she had told him she missed. That seemed to calm her, and she looked up at him with great sorrow in her black eyes.  
"I really am sorry, daddy."  
"Don't tell that to me. I'm not the one with a bloody face." She flinched at the verbal sting, but turned anyway toward where her brother was. He seemed to have regained consciousness in that moment. But when he saw her, he scrambled into his mother's lap and clutched at her dress.  
"Mommy, please." He sobbed, "Don't let her hurt me anymore. Please, mommy. It was only a vase... Please."  
"Don't worry, Tamaku. I promise you're okay, now. She won't hurt you."  
Shimara noticed that her mother said the words as if she were his enemy, not his sister. That hurt.  
"T-Tamaku?" She looked into his eyes caringly, but he perceived it as false sincerity.  
"No! Get away from me!" He shouted at her and buried his face in his mother's dress again.  
"I.. I'm really... I'm sorry, brother. I really am." She dropped to her knees before him, and truly saw for the first time what she had done. Her heart broke when she looked at the bruises and the blood all over his face. Scowling at her hands through her tears, she silently cursed herself and vowed to make it up to him. Tamaku peered up at her for just a moment, gauging the truth in her words, and seemed to believe her for a moment, but then turned away again. Temari continued stroking his hair and told him, "Your sister is telling the truth, Tamaku." Then his jade eyes met hers with surprise, as if asking 'How could that be true after what she just did?'  
"Yes, we believe her. You should, too. I promise she'll never hurt you again."  
"O-Okay, mommy." He finally looked at his big sister and, though not completely comprehending it, discerned the grief in her eyes, and then he knew she wasn't lying. But he also knew that he would never really forgive her._


	2. Chapter 1

The next year, while most of his other friends were still caring for their young children, Shikamaru had sent his little girl off to her first day at the academy. At least he could trust the teacher, because it was the same man who had taught him at the academy, Iruka.  
"Bye, daddy!" She called to him with her head turned as she walked through the door.  
"Bye, Shimara." Shikamaru whispered; she was already gone. He returned to his home, located at the edge of a clearing in a small forest within Konohagakure's borders, not unlike the one that holds the Third Training Ground.  
"Hello, Shika." Temari greeted him at the door. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  
"Hi. She seemed happy to go."  
"I'm not surprised. She wants to be friends with everyone."  
Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "Where's the boy?"  
"_Tamaku_ is sleeping right now. I just tucked him in."  
"Sleeping, huh?" Shikamaru eyed her, and then let his gaze drift. "I'm hungry."  
"Okay, I'll make some lunch." Temari started for the kitchen and he followed her. They ate, and Shikamaru stood by her as she washed the dishes. He leaned on his hand, resting his elbow on the counter, and then put his arm around her shoulder. She turned to him and looked into his dark brown eyes, detecting a hint of something she couldn't put her finger on. With his arm still around her, he turned away from the counter and walked them to their room.  
"Go see if Tamaku is still asleep." Shikamaru requested, so Temari stepped out of the room to do so. While she was gone, he stripped of everything except his underwear.  
"Yes, he's still asleep." She noticed that he was hardly wearing anything, but dismissed it because it was quite a common occurrence. "May I ask wh –" She began, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips, and then with his own pressed against hers. His hands drifted down, feeling her shape. Then she understood what that look in the kitchen had been about.  
"Shika, I..."  
"Look, this is a rare opportunity. We've barely had time for each other since 8 years ago. Give me this, please?"  
"Well..." She considered what he said, "Okay. Yeah, I agree." She returned his affections and placed her arms around his neck. He picked her up and dropped her on the bed, and they made love.

Shimara walked, or, rather, skipped out of the academy building and found her mother waiting for her. Needless to say, she was very excited about her first day at the academy, and that her punishment was finally over.  
That day, back when she beat her brother, she was placed in a corner for half an hour, and then she was ordered to give Tamaku some of her toys. _Her favorites_. She didn't want them now, but it hurt back then. And then, every day since that day, she had to do all of her parents' chores that were possible for her to do. Feeding the deer in the forest, cleaning the floor, counters, and tables, and picking up after everyone were some things she had to do. Her father also trained with her every week, to ensure that her aggression would eventually be channeled to her enemies instead. They promised that the day she started attending the academy, they would revoke that punishment, though she would still train.

Later, she burst through the door to their home, running and shouting, "Daddy!" over and over until she found him on the couch, sleeping with black sweatpants and no shirt.  
"Oh..." She murmured disappointedly.  
"It's okay, Shimara. He'll wake up soon, he's just worn out." Temari told her with a hint of a smile.  
"Okay!" She ran down the hallway to her room. Temari sat in her reading chair beside the couch and stroked Shikamaru's face for a moment, then returned to reading. Tamaku walked into the living room, rubbing his eyes, and asked, "Did Shimara come home?"  
"Yes, honey." Temari glanced up from her book, and then continued reading. "Do you need something?"  
"Yes, I'm really hungry."  
"That's right, you slept all day. Do you feel okay?" She put her book down and walked over to him.  
"Yes."  
Temari hugged him and said, "Okay. I'll start cooking."  
"Can we have that deer stew?"  
"You know you only get that when you're sick, or on special occasions."  
"Okay, then let's make some chicken for Shimara. Today was her first day, right?"  
"Yes. That's a good idea. I'll check the freezer and see if we have some." She found that they did, so she placed a bag of boneless bite-size pieces of chicken on the counter and found a saucepan to put on the stove. She marinated the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, and then deep fried it. Tamaku watched her the whole time.  
"I love fried chicken, mommy." He said while his stomach grumbled loudly.  
"Me too. If I'm doing all this work, I want it to enjoy it. She'll like whatever kind we make, anyway. It's chicken."  
Shimara peeked out of her room and sniffed the air, then her eyes went wide with pleasant surprise. She ran into the kitchen and confirmed it: her favorite food. They never made her other favorite, fish, since Tamaku hated it, but chicken was just as good.  
"You're making chicken, mother?" Shimara asked, peering around Temari's body to try to get a look at the food.  
"Yes, dear. To celebrate your first day at the academy."  
"Cool!" She hugged Temari's waist and looked up at her, "Thank you!"  
Shikamaru was awoken by the smell of food, and he realized that it was time for dinner. He appeared in the doorway and watched the kitchen activities for a while, then he sat at the wooden table.  
"Daddy!" Shimara ran to him and jumped into his lap, throwing her arms around him.  
Shikamaru laughed a little and asked, "What is it?"  
"The academy is fun! And I made some friends and everyone's nice and the teacher looks just like you except he's got a nasty scar on his face and –"  
"Whoa, Shimara, slow down." Shikamaru laughed again, "You like it?"  
"Yes!" She sat there hugging him and smiling as he stroked her hair until the food was done.  
"Dinner's ready!" Tamaku yelled at the top of his lungs, even though they were all in the same room.  
"Okay, Tamaku." Shikamaru picked up Shimara and set her down on the chair next to his, mumbling something to himself about going deaf. Temari placed a plate of chicken and rice balls on the table, then claimed the seat beside her husband. There was much loud conversation between the young brunettes while Shikamaru and Temari ate silently, though they sometimes passed on an affectionate touch or look. Then they told the children to go to sleep and they did, though not without much protest.

**Yamanaka Home**

"Dei-Dei! Can you come here, please?" Ino called to her blonde husband in another room. He obliged shortly after, and she pulled him into the hallway outside of Deina's room.  
"Are they fighting again?"  
"Well, _yeah_." She replied, as if it were obvious.  
"Of course. How can they fight so much when they're only 5 years old, yeah?"  
"Well, they're just ruthless. Maybe because of all those stories you told them..."  
"What? I only wanted to make sure they wouldn't get hurt, yeah. Some stories about the Akatsuki aren't that bad."  
"When they're only 5 years old, and you tell them that there are people out there who will torture them to death. Not that bad?"  
"I didn't say there are people like that. Only that it's possible, because it's happened before. I would know, yeah."  
"And you _had_ to tell them that you used to be a criminal..."  
"I-I did not!"  
"Then why do they run around pretending to kill people and saying they want to be like 'daddy'?"  
"You kill people too." He replied nervously, looking away.  
"I guess... I just wish they didn't have to learn that way of life so soon. I wanted them to be innocent and happy for a while before they were taught how to kill."  
"I didn't know that. I was never allowed that privilege, yeah."  
"Sure, I get it. In this world, though, even in peace..." She clenched her fists. "Damn evil people hurt everyone. And little kids can't be little kids anymore."  
"If you really feel that strongly about it, we could live in the middle of nowhere with no contact from anyone else, yeah."  
"No, no. I like it here, even if it's dangerous. Plus, being a ninja isn't all that bad."  
"Agreed."  
"Now, let's go see what's going on." Ino walked into Deina and Inadie's shared room and found them arguing about who-knows-what. They immediately stopped when their parents walked in the room, and simultaneously faced them with their hands clasped in front of them.  
"Daddy, why do I have to have a sister?" Deina asked her father innocently, though the emotions she felt, but didn't convey, were not innocent.  
Inadie looked at her sister incredulously. "Mommy! Why did she say that?"  
"Girls," Ino began, glaring at both of them as a warning to stay quiet, "You are sisters, and it can't be changed. That is that."  
"Twins, yeah." Deidara added. "That means you should be even closer than normal sisters."  
"B-But..." Inadie began, but stopped and shrank back when Ino gave her a look.  
"Now, hug each other." Ino demanded.  
"Wh-What?!" Deina exclaimed, still vexed with her twin.  
"I _said_ hug." They protested again and Ino closed her eyes before she could get too upset. A touch on the shoulder from Deidara calmed her down. "Yes, you love each other, so hug." The two blonde girls grumbled and did as they were told, then dramatically recoiled from each other afterwards. Ino squeezed the bridge of her nose with a forefinger and thumb.  
'What will I ever do with these two?' She wondered privately, then grabbed Deidara's hand and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.  
"Did you know that Shikamaru's children _never_ fight?" Ino gossiped to Deidara.  
"What? Well, no, I didn't. Are we just unlucky?"  
"No... Maybe his kids are special."  
"Didn't Shimara beat up Tamaku that one time?"  
"Oh, yeah." Ino winced at the thought, "He was only five. That must've been horrible."  
"Yeah."  
"And Shikamaru told me that since then, they have never fought. Ever."  
"Wow. How I wish I could be him..."  
"What? Do you like his wife better?"  
"N-No! Not at all!" Deidara blushed, "You know I didn't mean it like that, yeah!"  
"How would I know? It's not like you compliment me very often, and now you say you're jealous of Shikamaru." Ino tried to hide her smile, and looked away.  
"Wh-What? I... No. You're way better than her. That's why I married you, yeah? You're my flower." He gently gripped her chin and turned her to face him.  
"Good." Ino gave him a self-satisfied smirk, and Deidara realized she'd been joking.  
"Oh, I see. Think you can just take advantage of me, yeah?" He jabbed a finger into her side, and she yelped with surprise.  
"Hey!" She raised a fist at him and he pretended to be afraid. "I'll get you for that!" Then she chased him around the house, occasionally poking him in the ribs. Deina and Inadie peeked out of their door and giggled at their silly mother and father, not yet understanding the prospect of love.


	3. Chapter 2

"Hinata-Chan!" Naruto called enthusiastically to his wife, "Minuki said Dada!" Hinata walked into the living room and smiled at her two blonde boys. Her husband picked up the little 1-year-old and twirled him around, tears forming in his eyes.  
'He is so emotional about it...' Hinata thought to herself with glee. Naruto shifted the infant to his hip and put an arm around Hinata's waist, kissing her forehead.  
"He called me Dada!" Naruto beamed at her, causing her to giggle.  
"Yes, that's good."  
"But he's only a year old! He must be smart."  
"Naruto, most babies start talking like that when they are a year old."  
"Oh... But still!" He looked at Minuki, whose white eyes stared back at him. "Say it again for mommy, huh? Say it again." Naruto poked the child's stomach.  
"Mama." Minuki said when he saw Hinata, and reached his tiny hands out to her. Her eyes lit up with delight, and then so did his.  
"He said Dada _and_ Mama! I can hardly believe it!" A joyful tear slid down Naruto's cheek. Hinata took her son from Naruto and snuggled him, rubbing her face against his.  
"I know, Naruto. It's wonderful." She smiled at the laughing baby she held and soon found herself to be laughing along with him. It was contagious. "Sure makes up for all the trouble of getting him here, and raising him." Naruto agreed with her and hugged her tightly.

**Uchiha Home**

In their simple house near the edge of Konohagakure, Sakura awoke with her head on Sasuke's chest and his arms wrapped around her. She felt warm and safe with him, and knew they had little time before Sasira would awake and they would have to devote their time to everything but each other. After the trauma of birthing her, Sakura sometimes felt as if the child owed her something for going through all that trouble, but knew that the thought was nonsense. She had made a full recovery afterwards, and either way knew that it was not the girl's fault.  
"Are you awake?" Sasuke asked, and she realized with a start that he had been watching her the whole time.  
"Yes, Sasuke-Kun." Her deep green eyes gazed up at him, and he felt a twinge of longing for her, though she was right there beside him. Perhaps he longed to be alone with her... "Is something wrong?" She asked, disrupting his contemplation.  
"N-No, I was just thinking." He looked away at the tan-colored wall.  
"About what? Are you sure nothing's wrong?"  
"Yeah, I just wish sometimes that we could be alone, that's all."  
Sakura let out a sigh of relief, "You don't know how long I've wished that. But we can't."  
"You know what? Maybe Naruto... I mean, we are all good friends. He might take care of Sasira for us for a day."  
"Yeah. Knowing him, he'd probably love it."  
"I think he likes children."  
"Maybe a little too much." They shared a light laugh. He picked her up and set her down gently on the floor.  
"Let's go see if we can't convince the idiot."  
"Don't call him an idiot." Sakura picked up the sleeping Sasira and settled the toddler's head on her shoulder.  
"Sorry," Sasuke blushed slightly, "I was just kidding."  
"I'll be sure to tell him that."  
"Hey!"  
Sakura chuckled and told him she was also joking. They set off for the residence of Naruto, very near to the academy. Their destination was far from their home, but the couple wished to visit places in the village along the way. Soon Sasira woke up from the bouncing motion of being carried, and ate breakfast with her parents, absorbing the marvelous sights of the village that she had seen so little of. The three walked along the street, looking in shop windows and picking up a gift for Naruto, should he grant their request.  
When they finally arrived at his house, Naruto graciously welcomed them inside and offered them tea. As the two couples sat down at the dining room table, drinking tea, and their two children interacted with each other on the floor, Sakura decided to discuss her and her husband's thoughts.  
"So, Naruto..." Sakura began, unsure of exactly how to word it.  
"Yes, Sakura?"  
Sasuke took over for her, and put it bluntly, "We want to be alone together, and it's difficult with a child, as I'm sure you'll come to find out. We'd like to ask you to watch our daughter for us until tomorrow morning."  
Naruto took no time to consider; he only said, "Sure! If you'll do the same for us some other time!"  
"N-Naruto? You didn't even ask me." Hinata gave him an irritated look.  
"O-Oh! I'm sorry, Hinata-Chan." He stood up as if to go to another room. Everyone knew that the answer would be yes, so he didn't know how to amend the situation without making it awkward.  
"Anyway, yes. We would love to have Sasira over for the day." Hinata had saved him, seemingly sensing his predicament. He sat down and let out a sigh.  
"Thank you, Hinata-Chan!" Sakura said.  
Sasuke followed with "Yeah, thanks."  
"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, "It's not like she makes all the decisions!"  
Sakura explained to him, "We were only telling her because she approved it, even if you decided it. We were thanking you both."  
Naruto blushed and said, "Oh. I understand." Hinata then caringly patted him on the shoulder, fully accustomed to his outbursts.  
"So, now that that's settled, we will be off." Sasuke stated and placed his hand in Sakura's. She walked over to say goodbye to her daughter, waved to Naruto and Hinata, and then tugged Sasuke outside.  
They walked along the dusty streets blissfully, not caring about anything but each other in their few precious moments alone.  
Once they reached their home, an hour later, Sakura trudged into their room and slumped onto the bed, weary from walking. Sasuke joined her side and positioned his hand on her waist, under her shirt. The warmth of his arm across her bare stomach felt pleasant. They stayed that way for a few minutes, and then Sasuke pulled her front side against his, embracing her, and she reciprocated it. He affectionately ran his fingers through the hair at the back of her head as he studied her features, and then pulled her into a tender kiss.  
Her hands slid up his back to entangle in his raven-colored hair as the kiss became more intense. He moved on top of her and reached a hand back behind him to grip her thigh, pulling it out of the way, meanwhile slipping his other hand farther up her shirt. Sakura stopped him for a moment, and pushed him up a tiny bit.  
"Looks like we had the same idea, huh?" She smiled at him, staring into his amorous black eyes.  
"Yes, it appears that way." He agreed, returning her gaze, and then eased himself back down to lay atop her. He rested his head on her upper chest, and sighed.  
"What is it?" She asked with slight anxiety.  
"Oh! Uh, nothing. I just, um..." His eyes met hers and his face reddened.  
"It's okay, you can tell me." Some pinkness colored her cheeks as well.  
"No, it's nothing." He was slightly nervous after such a long break from what he was planning.  
"Alright, well, I'm still waiting." She reminded him, boosting his confidence.  
He blushed again, but raised himself up on a forearm and used his free hand to lift her shirt. She assisted him and removed it completely, responding by helping him remove his shirt as well. The two continued to kiss and allowed their hands to freely roam the other's body. They later made love for a long time, relishing the gratification of being with each other in a sexual way, only stopping when it was impossible to continue due to exhaustion. They also noticed that it was late in the afternoon.  
Sasuke flopped onto his back beside Sakura, panting, and she placed a hand on his sweaty chest.  
"I-I don't know what to say." Sasuke remarked.  
"Maybe there's nothing to say, because sometimes words aren't necessary." Sakura noted, attempting to sound philosophical.  
"You're right, but I still feel like I should say something."  
"Like what?" She glanced at him only to find that his eyes were closed.  
He sighed as he pondered, and then replied, "Like, that I've been waiting _so_ long for that."  
"I have too."  
"And that it felt ..."  
"I know, I know. That goes without saying." She stopped him before he could go into detail, her face turning pink.  
"No, no. I mean, it felt special." He corrected her thoughts, also turning a shade of pink.  
"O-Oh." Sakura said, "Yes. It's been awhile."  
He looked at her. "Indeed." He softly kissed her once more, and then pulled back and again rested his head with his eyes closed, as if he were at peace. "I feel a lot better now."  
"Me too. Except I'm sort of hungry."  
"Way too tired to cook..." He imparted, though it was obvious.  
"Yeah, I know. How 'bout we go out tonight?" Sakura's eyes brightened as she looked at him, even though his eyes were still closed.  
"Sounds perfect." He peeked up at her and asked, "Do we have money?"  
"Yes, of course. Enough for a nice meal."  
They relaxed in bed for a while longer to recover, and then removed themselves from the bed so they could bathe. Afterwards they dressed in elegant attire. By that time, it was nearly evening, and they chatted for a few minutes before they departed.  
"You... Well, I can't say I prefer this dress over _nothing_, but..."  
Sakura punched him in the shoulder, though more softly than if she were actually upset.  
"As I was _saying_," He explained while rubbing his shoulder, "You are stunning."  
She blushed. "Th-Thank you, kind sir. I might say that you, too, appear ravishing on this fine night." She giggled, urging him to laugh with her. He did.  
"So are you. And beautiful and gorgeous, and all of the above."  
"You know what? I think I know the place to go for dinner." She elbowed him.  
"Hm?"  
"Shushuya."  
"You mean that sake shop?"  
"Yeah. Who says we can't get drunk tonight?"  
"That sounds good, but I thought we were going to eat. I'm really hungry."  
"I heard from Tsunade, who obviously frequents the place, that they serve big platters of food."  
"Oh, okay. Great, then."  
They set off to find the pub, inquiring of some people along the way, even though Sakura was mostly sure she knew where it was. She had waited outside while Tsunade went in for a drink on multiple occasions. The couple was relieved that they didn't have to walk any longer once they found it, and promptly sat themselves at a booth inside.  
Soon a waitress arrived to take their beverage orders.  
"We both want your special sake, please." Sakura said without giving anyone a chance to speak or look at a menu.  
"Yes, ma'am. We will have that out soon."  
"Special sake?" Sasuke asked her once the woman left.  
"Well, they serve normal sake and they serve their 'choice sake'. It's what they're popular for. I've heard Tsunade proclaim how great it is many times, and I figure we should try it for ourselves."  
"I'm glad to have you here... I wouldn't know my left from my right in these places."  
"Yeah, you should be glad. Hey, how about we don't get too drunk until we're going to leave? I want to enjoy my food."  
"Yet another good idea. What would I do without you? You're smart."  
"Why, thank you." Sakura blushed a little, though she was used to the compliment.  
The waitress returned with a tray that held a metal pitcher, filled halfway with hot water and also containing the glass bottle of warm sake, and two small white glass cups with blue flower designs.  
"Thank you." Sakura told her, then the woman bowed and rushed away.  
Sasuke removed the similarly designed glass bottle of rice wine from the container and poured a bit in each of their cups. "After you." He told Sakura, and gestured to the cups.  
"Oh, alright." She brought a cup to her mouth and tipped it back, feeling the warm liquid trickle down her throat and spread heat through her body. "Ah, Tsunade wasn't kidding." At that, Sasuke did the same as she, and then agreed with her. They still resolved to wait until after they ate to get drunk. The waitress returned with a notepad and asked for their order. Sakura studied the menu and showed an item to Sasuke, pointing, and he nodded.  
"We want the large platter of yakitori, cooked with salt. I also want some more sake." She told the waitress, "Oh! Oh! And sprinkled onigiri too, please." She quickly added.  
"Do you want a filling?"  
"None, thank you."  
"Okay, I'll be right back with that."  
Sasuke sighed again with his elbows on the table and planted his head in his open palms.  
"What?" Sakura asked.  
He looked up. "You're so... intelligent. And wonderful." He told her, which made her blush again.  
"I... Well, so are you."  
He smiled. "Thanks. You know, onigiri is one of my favorite foods."  
"Yes, I know." She smiled contentedly. "Why do you think I got it?"  
"By the way, you can have most of the sake. I don't think it's really my thing, and plus, one of us has to be sober enough to know the way home."  
"Okay." She shook a finger at him, "But I bet you just want to see me drunk!"  
He laughed and said, "Maybe."  
The waitress gave them their rice balls and more sake, and when they were finished with the rice balls, they received a platter of skewered grilled chicken. The alluring smell filled their noses and ignited more hunger, so they finished the food to the last crumb, and then drained the sake into their stomachs to wash it down. Sasuke paid the bill, and helped Sakura to walk by supporting her with an arm. She was extremely inebriated, but he found it to be slightly endearing. Eventually he had to carry her, and she fell asleep in his arms as she clutched his shirt and mumbled to herself.


End file.
